Apple Tries (A Little) Harder to Get Its Message Out

Last week, the company issued a press release to announce it was upgrading its mobile operating system from iOS 6 to 6.1. It was the first time Apple has issued an official press release for a non-major mobile software release unrelated to a new device since 2010. (The new software allows you to order movie tickets through its virtual assistant Siri and adds faster network support for some European carriers).

At the same time, Apple communications staff have recently sent reporters more favorable third-party reports about the company, including a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today. Apple, and indeed virtually all its competitors, send reporters favorable studies from time to time. But the five reports Apple has sent since the start of the year, mostly related to mobile market share, represent more than recent months.

Apple has long been willing to sing its own praises when it needs to, issuing press releases about major milestones, products and sales.

So rather than a big shift, the latest moves represent a recognition that competition is heating up, a person familiar with the matter says. Apple also has more to cheer internationally, with growth in countries like China very strong. Apple CEO Tim Cook gave an interview to local Chinese media during a trip there earlier this year.

Since taking the helm of the company in 2011, Mr. Cook has clung fiercely to the secrecy of his predecessor Steve Jobs and the belief that when it comes to discussing products and Apple’s inner-workings, less is more. By all measures, Apple remains quieter than most. Despite a handful of interviews, Mr. Cook has said little publicly outside Apple events; the company still rarely allows even senior executives to speak to the media.

But Apple has taken a beating with investors as growth has slowed and profits flattened. Its shares have fallen around 35% since a record high close of $702.10 a share reached last September. And competitors like Samsung Electronics are starting to steal significant buzz and sales and spending handsomely to do so, including on a Super Bowl ad.

Still, as one of those studies Apple flagged points out, sales of its most important product, the iPhone, are strong. Apple passed Samsung in the fourth quarter to become the top mobile phone vendor in the U.S. for the first time, according to Strategy Analytics.